Generally, retail establishments currently allow a customer to shop for items or goods, place the items in a cart or basket, check-out and pay for items by using a traditional cashier who scans each item and then receives tender from the customer for payment of the items. Historically, tender or payment for the items or goods was in the form of cash or a check, or some form of credit, e.g., through use of a credit card. Use of such forms of tender raises security issues, as well, in practice may be cumbersome.
In some instances, it is very important that customers receive the lowest possible price on items for sale and that customers are aware that the prices at the retailer provide the best deal. For customers, it is likewise important to find the best possible deal on purchases. For both the retailer and the customer, it can be difficult to evaluate pricing. Competitors may transmit advertisements on various media, and publish advertisements and coupons in various publications. A customer must therefore wade through all of these for all items in order to find the best deal. Once found, price matching may enable a customer to buy all items at the same store, rather than visit various retail stores. However, the time spent in reviewing advertisements each week is nonetheless inconvenient.
The systems and methods disclosed herein provide an improved approach for a retailer to ensure that prices paid by a customer are competitive and to ensure that the customer is aware of savings obtained by shopping at a retailer.
The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above.